Headscarves to be accepted for bar registry

Female lawyers are not required to provide a photograph showing their hair in order to register for the bar

General

11 Kasım 2013 Pazartesi 23:24

The Council of State has ruled that female lawyers are not required to provide a photograph showing their hair in order to register for the bar, the Turkish media reported on Monday.

The 8th Chamber of the Council of State, handling a case opened by a headscarved lawyer after her application for registry at the bar was refused, granted an injunction on a bylaw of the Legal Profession Act. The chamber made its decision unanimously.

The bylaw stipulates that female lawyers must provide a headshot that shows their hair uncovered.

The plaintiff's application for registry was initially accepted by Konya Bar after she completed her legal internship. Her acceptance was later referred to the Turkish Bar Association (TBB) for approval, and TBB allegedly declined to register her as a lawyer because of her unacceptable headshot. TBB's ruling was also approved by the Ministry of Justice.

The headscarved lawyer brought a suit to the Council of State, appealing both the decision of the TBB and the Ministry of Justice. She also demanded in her case that the related bylaw be removed.